American Victory Gardens in World War II

For those of you who commented on my last post or emailed me asking to read the research paper I wrote on Victory Gardens, here you go! Keep in mind this is a short research paper, so it is a little dry. My favorite part by far was reviewing the reseearch material. Those old, yellow paged booklets from the 1940’s were a real treat to read.

Hipchick, you are one bodacious babe. This research paper and the previous post with the Excel breakout are going to be invaluable for many growers in this coming year. The current economy and prevailing wave of layoffs is coming home, unfortunately a bit sooner than expected for some of us—including me.
The Mortgage could easily be the new War that requires a victory garden.
For myself and mine on our little suburban 1/5 acre, the hostas are coming up in favor of cabbage and cress, the daylillies are giving way to peas and beans, and I’m finding that Canna is both ornamental *and* edible.
Kind of putting a bet on Amaranth. Last year I sowed the undeveloped open spaces and some lots under power lines. It’s a self-starter and the natural reseeding is really remarkable. It won’t make bread but it’s great for porridge and livestock feed. Now I just need to find some quiet chickens for my non-livestock neighborhood…

As a master gardener I have a huge interest in re-creating Victory gardens in our communities. Our group currently contributes hundreds of pounds to our local food pantries grown in an airport community garden. We are looking for ways to expand these efforts and teach locally unemployed how to grow their own food. Your paper is not only informative but inspiring. I live in Elkhart, In. We have 20% unemployment at this time. Great site…Thanks